Yamaha FZ1 Fazer
Mark’s 96k Fazer is a testament to Yamaha’s build quality
95k miles on 2008 bike
“I’VE ALWAYS BEEN a Yamaha man; I’m not sure why but I’ve owned loads of them and have never had an issue with any. Before the Fazer I had an XJR1300 SP, which I bought because I wanted something a bit more relaxed than the R1 it replaced, as I was planning on doing more touring. The problem with the XJR was that although comfortable, it was a barge in the bends. The Fazer seemed the ideal blend of sports and practicality, so I bought it new in 2006.
“It was the first bike I’d owned that came with fuel-injection and initially, it was a bit of a nuisance; very jerky opening the throttle and nowhere near as progressive as carbs. At the time, a lot of riders were moaning about it but I just rode it and now I hardly notice it at all. It is a small irritation on an otherwise excellent machine.
“As soon as I rode the Fazer, I knew it was the right bike for me. It is more than fast enough, has lovely low-down grunt to handle a pillion and/or luggage, is comfortable for 800-mile days in the saddle, excellent on motorways and has been 100% reliable.
“I’ve ridden it all over Europe and while I used to commute, I mainly now use it for touring. I’ve ridden through Norway to the Nordkapp, Scandinavia, Estonia, Finland, Belarus, Albania, Moldavia, the kind of places not everyone aims for so reliability is important. My partner Vikki often flies out to meet me and we tour two-up before I head home solo as that’s the dull part. During these trips, the Fazer is excellent and while I did consider a taller screen, it ruins the looks and at 5”7’ I don’t really need the extra protection. It is surprisingly kind on tyres and I get about 10,000 miles out of a set of Pirelli Angel GT IIS.
“In 96,000 miles, nothing has gone wrong with it, which is a testament to Yamaha’s build quality, not my dedication to its servicing schedule. I’m still on the original clutch, shock, bearings, discs, everything aside from consumables such as tyres, brake pads and chain and sprockets. I’m a firm believer that you can over-maintain a bike and I’ve just changed the Fazer’s oil regularly and ridden it. If it isn’t broken, don’t fit it!”